


Sooner Or Later I'll Find My Place

by SocialDegenerate



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: 5+1 Things, Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, M/M, Outdoor Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2018-12-26 13:09:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12059628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SocialDegenerate/pseuds/SocialDegenerate
Summary: 5 times Ignis played with Gladio's hair throughout their lives, and 1 time Gladio returned the favour.“I’ve...I’ve never seen hair as dark as yours,” Ignis admitted, staring down at his hands. “It looks...interesting.”





	1. 6/7

**Author's Note:**

> There is a lot of great グライグ art on Pixiv of Ignis playing with Gladio’s hair. Somehow that ended in…this? There’s going to be some fluff and some smut and nothing too angsty because that’s just how I roll.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you sure you weren’t like that kid, Iggy?”  
> “Very, positively sure.”  
> (post- _Mind the Trap_ dialogue)

Ignis had always been a curious child.

His mother called it one of his greatest strengths, but she always made sure to remind him that it could be a weakness as well. He wouldn’t be able to speak without thinking in front of King Regis, she tended to say, and he wouldn’t be allowed to pester the royal family with questions.

It was important that he never stop learning, but he needed to remember that there was a time and place for everything.

She never scolded him for asking things of _her_ , though, and so Ignis often found himself quizzing her about Insomnia and its royalty. His father had served the Lucis Caelum family until an illness had taken him, long enough ago that Ignis only remembered him through his mother’s pictures and stories.

Even though she had taken her child and returned to the village of her parents years before, she still remembered more about Insomnia than anyone else around had ever learned, and her stories held far more life than the textbook recitations Ignis’ teacher gave him. Ignis knew he would be summoned there sooner or later, bound to be in the service of King Regis’ young son, and it certainly helped that his mother made the city sound lively and exciting.

King Regis was a kind man, she always said, although when his enemies raised his ire there was little that could stop his fury. He had offered support after the passing of Ignis’ father, and his mother assured Ignis that she knew it came from the goodness of King Regis’ heart and not from obligation.

The prince was without a mother, she explained, just as Ignis was without a father; the knowledge made Ignis feel a little closer to the boy he’d never met. Despite the king’s kindness, Ignis’ mother had nonetheless decided to move back to her own parents for at least a few years, daunted by the idea of trying to raise a son alone in the city.

And then the plan for them to return together slowly became the plan for Ignis to return alone, his father’s brother agreeing to take him in until he could support himself.

Her parents were getting older, Ignis’ mother had candidly explained to him, never talking down to him like other adults tended to. They needed help to keep their business running, and she didn’t know how much longer she would have with them.

And then the letter came for six-year-old Ignis, hand-delivered by a woman dressed in the royal black and sitting behind the wheel of a sleek, pristine car.

She would visit as often as she could, Ignis’ mother assured him as she wrapped him in a tight hug a week later when the same car pulled back into the village. He would be busy enough that he would hardly notice that she wasn’t there, and she would write at least once a week and call whenever she had the chance.

She loved him, and she knew that he would go on to do great things.

Kissing his forehead, she ushered him into the back seat of the car along with a care package of food and a new book, and then they were leaving the village and his mother behind them.

For the first couple of hours of the drive, Ignis remembered to keep his questions to himself, but the trip was longer than a six-year-old’s self control. Although he was sad to be leaving his mother, he had always known that he would have to leave and so he found himself buzzing with more excitement than sadness.

It was all a little too much and he soon found himself blurting out, “Excuse me, what do you do for the royal family?”

There was no response for a few moments and Ignis felt his cheeks burning with embarrassment, but then the woman glanced over her shoulder and shot him a warm grin.

“I was wondering when you’d find your voice. I’m a member of the Crownsguard. We-”

“You protect the city and the king!” Ignis interrupted, his excitement getting the better of him again. Laughing, the woman reached across to turn down the radio.

“That’s right. If all goes well, you could probably join when you’re old enough, too.”

His eyes going wide, Ignis immediately found himself grilling his driver about anything and everything he could think of, and the rest of the drive went by with the sounds of Ignis’ eager questions and the woman’s amused yet informative answers.

He didn’t even spare a thought to his new book until they were pulling into the city, Ignis recognising the Citadel at the centre from the pictures in his mother’s album. Pressing himself to the window, he took in the sights of the city, nodding in awe as the Crownsguard pointed various things out to him.

Before too long, he found himself being led into the Citadel itself, the woman’s hand warm and secure around his own while reminding him not to be distracted by all the fascinating things he could see. There were more people running around than Ignis thought were in his entire village, and the Crownsguard seemed to know a great number of them.

And then they were stopping in front of a big, ornate door, and the woman crouched down to meet Ignis’ eyes. “We’re going in here to meet the king and the prince, and then your uncle’s going to come and get you, okay?”

Ignis felt a stab of fear but he swallowed it down and nodded, his fingers clenching in the material of his pants. With another warm smile, the Crownsguard stood up and knocked on the door, waiting patiently until it slowly opened.

A man in a uniform similar to her’s looked down at Ignis and he shrank back a little, intimidated by the stony look on the man’s face.

“Oi!” The woman said, making Ignis jump as she slapped the man over the back of the head. “Wipe that grumpy look off your face, you’re scaring the poor kid. That’s why they sent me on a nice drive and you had to stand here all day.”

The man grumbled but stepped out of the way, gesturing for Ignis to come through. With the woman at his back, he managed to find the confidence to walk into the room, where two men stood up from ornate couches in the centre of the room. One had a bored-looking child sprawled out on the floor near his feet, while the other had a smaller child clinging to his broad chest- _King Regis_ , Ignis realised with a start as he looked a little closer at the latter adult, which made the child in his arms the prince whom Ignis was bound to serve.

“Thank you, Macia,” the king said as he walked to meet them, and Ignis watched the woman bow before she left to join the man at the door. Suddenly alone with all eyes on him, Ignis felt fear choking him and his hands began to shake.

“Don’t be afraid, Ignis,” King Regis said, stiffly bending until one knee was on the floor. “My name is Regis, and this is Noctis.”

Softly detaching the child from his chest, Regis turned him until Ignis could meet shy blue eyes. Although Ignis’ mother had coached him on the proper technique for a Lucian bow, he found that he couldn’t remember a single thing about it and so he awkwardly nodded his head while hunching his shoulders. Thankfully Regis just smiled at him, while Noctis turned to bury his face into his father’s neck.

Letting out a deep chuckle, Regis adjusted his hold on his son and ran a hand through his black hair. Forcing himself to look away from the king and across to the other two, whom Ignis couldn’t remember seeing in any pictures, Ignis noticed that three of the four had the same glossy, dark hair. The other man had no hair to speak of at all, but Ignis could easily imagine him with the same dark hair as the bored child at his feet.

Ignis had seen pictures, of course, and his teacher had explained to him that people from other places often had different features than were found in their little village; but Ignis had never seen such dark hair in real life.

His Insomnian father had looked like that, if the photos were to be believed, but Ignis had ended up with his mother’s lighter colouring like most other people in their village. They were isolated enough that it was rare for people to stay and still marry outsiders, and those that left usually never came back.

His hands, thankfully no longer shaking, twitched with the curious urge to reach out and touch the soft-looking strands on the prince’s head. This was surely what his mother had warned him about, though, and so Ignis bit his tongue and forced his hands to stay by his side.

“You must be tired,” King Regis said, drawing Ignis’ attention. “Come, sit. I know the two brutes over there look scary, but I promise you that they’re big softies.”

King Regis said the last part in a low tone, as if it were a joke for only him and Ignis to enjoy, and Ignis wasn’t quite sure how to react. Flicking his eyes over to the other two, he noticed that the standing man _did_ look quite scary with his heavy robes, bald head and calculating stare.

Before he had to do anything, though, King Regis was standing with a groan and putting a warm, gentle hand between Ignis’ shoulderblades to guide him over to the fancy-looking couches.

“Lighten up, Clarus,” the king said. “Your face will get stuck like that.”

Ignis could have sworn that the man _rolled his eyes_ at King Regis, but he looked away and down at the boy near his feet before Ignis could be truly sure. Nudging the boy- his son, Ignis presumed- with the toe of his boot, Clarus waited until he stood up before turning back to Ignis.

“Clarus Amicitia,” the man said, and the name tickled something at the back of Ignis’ brain. “Shield of the King.”

His eyes going wide again, Ignis stammered as he tried to introduce himself. “I-Ignis Scientia, sir.”

He’d heard stories about the King and his Shield, even if his mother hadn’t had any photos of Lord Amicitia. He was probably the most dangerous person in the entire kingdom, and Ignis could only stare at him in intimidated awe.

“Gladio,” the boy suddenly said, and Ignis tore his eyes away from Lord Amicitia. “Prince’s Shield.”

“ _Gladiolus_ ,” Lord Amicitia said pointedly, “is only a few months older than yourself. As you will both be working quite closely with Prince Noctis, we hope that the two of you can be friends.”

Nodding stiffly, Ignis finally found his manners and stuck his hand out towards Gladiolus. He would never have guessed that Gladiolus was almost the same age as himself, considering how much taller the other boy was; but he didn’t think that Lord Amicitia had any reason to lie about something like that.

After a few horrifyingly tense moments, Gladiolus took Ignis’ offered hand, shaking it with as much strength as a seven-year-old could muster. A little taken aback, Ignis hung on for dear life, and he was startled to see what looked like childish approval in Gladiolus’ eyes.

Reclaiming his hand as soon as Gladiolus dropped it, Ignis looked up at the adults for guidance. King Regis was still smiling warmly at him, and Noctis had moved enough to peer warily at Ignis with his one exposed eye.

“We unfortunately have a meeting to attend,” King Regis said, reaching out to pat Ignis’ shoulder. “Your uncle should be here soon to collect you. In the meantime, why don’t you stay here with Gladiolus? You two can get to know each other. Unless there’s anything you’d like to ask before we have to leave?”

There were, of course, a _million_ questions that Ignis wanted to ask, but he remembered his mother’s words and firmly clamped his lips while shaking his head. With another indulgent smile, King Regis and Lord Amicitia swept out of the room, all regal robes and intimidating auras even with a child still clinging to King Regis’ chest.

“So,” Gladiolus said once the door closed behind them, leaving the room silent and still. “Why do you talk so weird?”

“I...what?” Ignis asked, feeling self-conscious.

“Your voice,” Gladiolus said, flopping back along one of the couches. Ignis gingerly took a seat on the other, perched on the edge with perfect posture. “You’ve got a weird accent.”

“Do I?” Ignis had thought that everyone else had been the ones who sounded strange, but perhaps it really was the other way around?

“I guess it’s kinda cool. My mum always says that only special people get to work for the Crown, so you must be special.” Gladiolus nodded resolutely, and Ignis felt his cheeks burn. He’d never thought of himself as particularly special, but Gladiolus sounded so _sure_ …

The silence that followed had Ignis’ skin crawling, and he could feel words building up in his throat until he just couldn’t hold them back.

“Can I touch it?” He blurted out, clapping a hand over his mouth as he realised exactly _what_ had escaped. Gladiolus was giving him a strange look, and Ignis found himself wilting under Gladiolus’ stare. It wasn’t quite as piercing as his father’s, but Ignis had no doubt that he would get there.

“I’ve...I’ve never seen hair as dark as yours,” Ignis admitted, staring down at his hands. “It looks...interesting.”

“Huh,” Gladiolus said, rolling off the couch. “I guess?”

Before Ignis knew it, a hand was grabbing his wrist and tugging it up until his fingers were pressing into Gladiolus’ dark hair. From up close, Ignis could see that it was actually a very dark brown, and there was a thick softness to it that he hadn’t been expecting.

“O-oh,” Ignis stammered, awkwardly moving his fingers a little. He wasn’t sure how much he was allowed to touch, and he didn’t want to make Gladiolus hate him on their first meeting. “It’s...nice?”

“Feels weird,” Gladiolus said with a little laugh, and Ignis snatched his hand back with a self-conscious apology.

“Good weird, not bad weird,” Gladiolus specified as he threw himself back on the other couch. He quickly launched into a story about his tutor, who was set to be Ignis’ tutor as well, and soon enough Ignis found himself relaxing a little and laughing softly at Gladiolus’ surely exaggerated impressions.

He returned Gladio’s tales with stories about his own teacher and the rest of the village, although he tried to avoid thinking or talking too much about his mother. Still, by the time there was a knock on the door and his uncle entered, Ignis felt like he’d made a friend.

A slightly ridiculous, loud friend with surprisingly soft, dark hair who didn’t seem to mind when Ignis interrupted his stories to ask questions. If anything, Ignis’ questions only seemed to encourage him, making his stories more vividly detailed and outlandish.

It was a shame that Ignis had to leave, but Gladiolus assured him that they would be meeting to spend time with the prince the next day, and after leaving the room with his uncle Ignis realised that his cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

Even though he’d never really doubted it, now Ignis _knew_ that life in Insomnia really was going to be okay.


	2. 12/13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Short back and sides!"  
> (A private school proverb)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhh if you're wondering why Gladio swears so much in this chapter, it's because he's a 13-year-old boy and he thinks it makes him seem tough.
> 
> Also, I'm basing Gladio's hair on the various designs shown [in this picture](http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/File:Brotherhood_Gladiolus_Art.jpg).

The sound of his phone ringing almost made Ignis jump, the loud ringtone interrupting the peace and quiet of his solo dinner.

He supposed that it would probably be his uncle, calling to let Ignis know that he would be caught up in his duties even later than usual. Ignis didn’t mind: that just gave him more time to figure out what exactly was going wrong with his cooking. He was improving, but he still wasn’t at the standard that Noctis deserved.

When he looked at the small screen on the front of his phone, though, Ignis was surprised to see the name _Gladiolus_ flashing there. Although they tended to exchange texts fairly frequently, it was rare for Gladiolus to call him, and Ignis’ first thought was that something had to be wrong with Noctis.

“Gladiolus?” Ignis asked, flipping open the phone and pressing it to his ear. “What's wrong?”

“Huh? Nothing,” Gladiolus said, but his hesitation was obvious even from just his voice. “Okay, maybe something, but like...nothing serious? I guess?”

“Gladiolus…”

“Hey, what've I told you about calling me that? Only dad does it so it's weird coming from you.”

Ignis sighed. “You're stalling.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you a-... _dammit_.” Ignis was relieved that Gladiolus couldn’t see the slight smile on his face, vaguely amused by the antics despite being mad at himself for falling for it. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or is my dinner getting cold for nothing?”

‘Oooh, food. Any leftovers?”

“Not for you.”

“ _Ignis_ ,” Gladiolus whined, and Ignis snorted slightly when Gladiolus’ voice cracked on the second syllable of his name. “I’m a growing boy, I need to be fed.”

“And I’m not?” Ignis asked, his appetite beating out his manners as he tucked the phone between his shoulder and ear. If Gladiolus was going to stall, Ignis was going to eat, and it seemed likely that this little _problem_ was neither that important nor to do with Noctis.

“I’m bigger than you, and I train way more,” Gladiolus said smugly, and Ignis just made sure that his phone would pick up the sound of his cutlery scraping against the plate. If it had been anyone other than Gladiolus on the other end of the phone, there was no chance of Ignis doing something as rude as eating through their conversation, but it seemed like Gladiolus always had either a sword or a snack in his hands and so he would understand.

(When Ignis had made that observation out loud one day, Gladiolus had laughed and said that he usually had one of _three_ things in his hands. When he’d explained the third, Ignis had gone bright red and sworn to never be led into a verbal trap like that again).

“Anyway, you home alone?” Gladiolus eventually decided to ask, and Ignis paused with his fork halfway to his mouth.

“...Yes. Why?”

“Cool. I'll be there in ten minutes.” Before Ignis could reply, the phone beeped to indicate the end of the call. Staring at his now dark screen, as if he was trying to figure out whether that had actually happened, Ignis groaned and snapped the phone shut.

If he refused to open the door, Gladiolus would just pick the lock and let himself in, so Ignis needed to finish his meal before it was stolen away from him by his perpetually ravenous best friend.

Glancing at the leftovers in the pot that was still sitting on the stovetop, Ignis knew that they were as good as gone, but at least Gladiolus might be able to offer him some decent feedback.

After his plate was finished and cleaned, Ignis turned his attention to the rest of his apartment. He had a few spare minutes before Gladio would arrive, and he spent them gathering together the papers scattered across the rest of the table.

Maths homework, a report on the diplomatic state of Insomnia, and the latest letter from his mother were all carefully put away, the last with even more care than the other two. She was due to visit within the next few weeks, and Ignis was more excited than he would ever let anyone see. He hadn't seen her since his grandfather’s funeral, when King Regis had practically tossed him in the car with a Crownsguard driver.

_Family is important_ , King Regis had reminded him, shaking his head when Ignis protested that Noctis was his family too. He'd assured Ignis that Noctis would be fine for a couple of days, and he had been.

Still, Ignis didn't like leaving if he didn't have to. Noctis was still quiet and withdrawn, as he had been ever since the attack, but he showed more life when Ignis was around. If he'd been allowed to, Ignis would have never left his side.

Lost in thoughts about his two families, Ignis jolted when his doorbell suddenly rang. Hurrying to open the door before Gladiolus got into his lock picking kit, which he'd already proven himself to be _far_ too excited about using whenever he was given half a chance, Ignis could only stop and stare at the boy standing on the other side of his door.

Although it was the middle of summer, Gladiolus was wearing a beanie pulled down over his ears, his head ducked down and his shoulders hunched. He rushed inside almost as soon as he got the chance, knocking into Ignis as he went.

“Close the door,” Gladiolus hissed, rolling his eyes and doing it himself when Ignis didn't move.

“What’s with the beanie?” Ignis asked, and he took a step forward when Gladiolus awkwardly looked away. It said a lot about Gladiolus’ mental state when he barely even reacted as Ignis reached up and plucked the beanie from his head, seemingly not noticing it was gone until Ignis started laughing.

“Rude,” Gladiolus said, snatching his hat back but not bothering to put it back on.

“What on _Eos_ have you done to yourself?” Ignis asked, still laughing. There was no question that Gladiolus’ new haircut was a home job, considering that it was choppy and uneven and he seemed to have completely given up on doing the back. It was also only half cut, the top seemingly untouched while the bottom was hacked away. Ignis suspected that even Gladiolus’ five-year-old sister would have done a better job than Gladiolus himself had done.

“I was told there’d be food,” Gladiolus grunted instead of answering, although he was halfway to the kitchen before Ignis could even say anything. Rolling his eyes as Gladiolus dumped his bag on the counter and went straight for where he knew the plates were kept, Ignis watched his leftovers being piled onto Gladiolus’ plate.

“Holy shit,” Gladiolus said with his mouth full, “This is really fucking good, Ig.”

“...Thank you,” Ignis said, even as he winced at Gladiolus’ horrible manners. “It’s missing something, though.”

Frowning in concentration, Gladiolus took another disgustingly huge bite. “More garlic. Can never go wrong with more garlic.”

“I feel sorry for anyone who’s ever going to kiss you and your garlic breath,” Ignis said, making Gladiolus choke and pound on his chest. Swallowing his huge mouthful before Ignis could get worried, Gladiolus grinned.

“Why, you offering?”

“Of course not!” Ignis spluttered, fixing his glasses. Gladiolus’ ability to unsettle him was beyond a joke, and Ignis was desperate to change the subject. “Will you explain the hair now?”

Shovelling more food into his mouth, Gladiolus groaned and rolled his eyes. “Fucking Cor.”

“Ah,” Ignis said, thinking of the intimidating Marshal Leonis. He and Lord Amicitia shared the duty of training Gladiolus, and Ignis had been subjected to a great many complaints about how much harder the Marshal was on him than his father was. “What happened this time, then?”

“He’s decided my hair’s too long, and when I argued he said that I couldn’t use the real weapons until I’ve got short back and sides.” Pausing to eat some more, Gladiolus closed his eyes and gave Ignis a thumbs up in approval. “When I complained to Dad, because his hair was way longer than mine when he was younger, he said I have to listen to Cor until I can beat him in a fight.”

“That doesn’t exactly explain... _this_ ,” Ignis said slowly, gesturing to the mess of Gladio’s hair. “Surely buzzing it isn’t that difficult.”

“I’m not cutting it all off,” Gladiolus said, sounding offended. “Like fuck I’m doing what he wants. I’m gonna beat him soon anyway, I can feel it.”

“Sure,” Ignis said, completely unconvinced. “So if you weren’t cutting it off, why have you...cut it off?”

“He only said short back and sides, Iggy.”

Ignis’ eyebrows rose as he followed Gladiolus’ train of thought. “So you thought that you’d cut _only_ the back and sides, and then what? Spike the top up or something?”

“Exactly,” Gladiolus said, turning to rinse off his dirty plate. “It’s harder than it looks, though.”

“And you’re here because you want _me_ to fix it?”

“Yup. C’mon Iggy, be a bro.”

“Fine,” Ignis sighed, because he really couldn’t ever say no to Gladiolus. “But when Marshal Leonis kills you, I’m not getting involved.”

“You’re the best!” Gladiolus grinned, dumping his plate in the drying rack before turning back to his bag and tugging out a second, smaller bag. “Where d’you wanna do this?”

“In the bathroom, I guess. But you _do_ know that I’ve never done this, right?” Reluctantly taking the second bag from Gladiolus, Ignis peered inside to see hair clippers, a comb, and a pair of scissors.

“Well, sure,” Gladiolus said, walking towards the bathroom and giving Ignis no choice but to follow along behind. “But you’re fuckin’ good at everything.”

“Your faith in me is touching, but possibly misguided.”

“Nah, you got this,” Gladiolus said, shooting a smile over his shoulder. It made Ignis feel a little strange, and he busied himself with poking through the bag in his hands. He’d received plenty of haircuts in his life, so surely he could figure out what to do.

If anything, it would be hard to make what Gladiolus had done worse.

After taking a slight detour to grab a chair for Gladiolus to sit on, Ignis found himself standing there with clippers in his hand, sizing up the damage that Gladiolus had already done. He thought that he could see what he needed to do, but he was still nervous as he started the clippers buzzing.

“And you’re _sure_ about this?” Ignis asked, and it certainly didn’t help when Gladiolus laughed.

“Not at all, but I trust you.”

“Well, here I go…” Ignis managed to say, touching the clippers to Gladiolus’ head. The first stroke wasn’t firm enough, barely affecting the patch of hair that Gladio still had at the back of his head; the second was better, and soon Ignis found himself in a proper rhythm.

It was almost relaxing to focus on making sure that everything was neat and even, and Ignis found himself running his fingers over the freshly-shaved sides and back before he realised what he was doing.

“This reminds me of the day we met,” Gladiolus suddenly said, making Ignis pull the clippers away when he stupidly turned his head. “When you were all little and shy and wanted to touch my hair.”

Flushing a little at the memory, Ignis firmly turned Gladiolus’ head until he was facing forwards again. “I do remember that, yes.”

“You were a fuckin’ cute kid,” Gladiolus laughed. “Not sure what happened to you.”

“You’re less funny than you think you are,” Ignis said, running his fingers through the longish hair on top of Gladiolus’ head. He could _probably_ get it to stand up without having to cut it, and he had to admit that it was nice to feel that soft, thick mass of hair under his hands.

He wasn’t currently as fascinated by dark hair as he had been during his childhood, but Gladiolus’ hair was as nice as he remembered it being.

Realising that he was just idly stroking Gladiolus’ hair, Ignis cleared his throat and opened the cabinet to find his hair gel. He debated just giving it to Gladiolus and telling him to work it out for himself, but there was no way that Ignis’ pride could let him leave a task unfinished.

It took a while- and a lot of gel- to get Gladiolus’ hair standing up and forward, but eventually Gladiolus was letting out a low whistle as he admired himself in the mirror. “Damn, looking good! Thanks, Ig.”

“You’re welcome,” Ignis said, reaching up to fix a few strands that had fallen out of place. It wasn’t perfect, nor was it as good as a professional would have done, but it was a decent first attempt. He could see Gladiolus watching him in the mirror, and his skin was crawling- but it was pleasant enough that Ignis found himself catching that intense gaze.

A few moments passed in silence before Ignis turned away, his ears burning a little. “I...I should clean up in here.”

“I got it!” Gladiolus interrupted, jogging over to grab the broom before Ignis could. “Lemme say thanks, y’know?”

As Ignis watched Gladiolus sweep up the fallen hair, he noticed the way that Gladiolus would sometimes reach up to touch his new hair, gently prodding at the spikes or running his fingers over the closely-shaved sides. It made Ignis feel oddly proud of his work, and he couldn’t help but touch it one more time when Gladiolus walked past him to find the dustpan.

“Fun, ain’t it?” Gladiolus laughed, scratching at the back of his head. “Thanks again, Iggy. I’ll be out of your... _hair_ after I toss this all in the bin.”

“Not your best work,” Ignis retorted as Gladiolus grinned at him, bending down to collect the hair in the dustpan. “Surely you can come up with something more hil- _hair_ -ious than that.”

“That was fucking awful,” Gladiolus said, even as he laughed. He intentionally knocked his shoulder into Ignis as he passed by on his way to the bin, and Ignis was proud to note that he hardly got pushed off-balance.

Collecting the bag of hairdressing supplies, Ignis trailed after Gladiolus again, holding it out with both hands for Gladiolus to take once the dustpan had been emptied.

“Thanks for dinner as well, yeah?” Gladiolus said as he tucked the smaller bag back into his other one. “And I’ll be sure to tell Cor how good of a job you did on my hair.”

“Don’t you dare!” Ignis exclaimed, visions of his unmerciful death at the Marshal’s hands flashing before his eyes. “Gladiolus Amicitia, if you even _mention_ my name in the same sentence as your hair, I will haunt you forever after Marshal Leonis kills me!”

Cackling wildly, Gladiolus swung his bag over his shoulder and ran for the door, turning around long enough to shoot finger guns at Ignis before opening it and disappearing. Once he was gone, though, all Ignis could do was laugh.

Even when his life was so carefully structured to balance his extensive education with spending time with Noctis, at least he could rely on Gladiolus to keep things interesting.

Ignis had to respect anyone who was brave- or stupid- enough to try and be a smartass towards The Immortal, after all.


	3. 17/18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm not balding, it's Amicitia family tradition!"  
> (Clarus, probably)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this from my phone so I apologise for any formatting weirdness.

“This is beyond ridiculous.”  
  
Crossing his arms over his chest and raising an unimpressed eyebrow, Ignis waited for Gladiolus to explain himself. Yes, he'd noticed that Gladiolus hadn't been seen without a hat since his hair had mysteriously gone from brushing his shoulders to completely missing, but Ignis was feeling awfully mocked by the fact that Gladiolus was still wearing it while getting ready to spar with him.  
  
“What?” Gladiolus asked, adjusting his grip on his greatsword and settling into position. “We doing this or not?”  
  
“Or not, apparently,” Ignis spat, humiliation burning in his gut and making him nasty. Obviously Gladiolus was stronger and better trained than he was, but that didn't mean that Gladiolus had to treat him like a joke and turn up looking like he didn't even think Ignis was worth any effort. “If you didn't want to do this, why did you ask me to spar?”  
  
“Wh-” Gladiolus spluttered, lowering his sword and standing up straight, one hand idly adjusting his stupid cap. “I told you, I wanna see what Cor has taught you so far!”  
  
“Then take the hat off and at least pretend to take me seriously,” Ignis snapped. He'd thought they were friends, even if they weren't quite as close as they had been during their childhood; it wasn't like Gladiolus to be so cruel.  
  
Ignis had been genuinely excited to be invited to spar with Gladiolus, something that didn't tend to happen considering that Ignis was only just beginning his official training while Gladiolus was reaching the end of his. He'd barely spent any time at all with Gladiolus in months, and of course this would then happen.  
  
Still, a part of Ignis’ mind knew he was being irrational. Wishful thinking had led him to read perhaps a little too deeply into the invitation, to the point where he'd secretly hoped that Gladiolus might ask him somewhere else afterwards. But that was ridiculous, of course, and the stark reality of Gladiolus just not liking him that much was making Ignis feel a little sick.  
  
“Look,” Gladiolus started hesitantly, biting his lip when Ignis fixed him with a hurt glare. “You...you have to promise not to laugh, okay?”  
  
Ignis just stared silently at him, barely feeling any guilt over the way that Gladiolus visibly wilted before him. Gently resting his sword on the ground, Gladiolus was obviously uncomfortable as he played with the brim of his cap, and all manner of explanations were going through Ignis’ mind before Gladiolus took a deep breath and then snatched the cap from his head.  
  
The training room was silent for several moments, and then Ignis started laughing.  
  
“Hey!” Gladiolus complained, jamming his cap back on. “You promised you wouldn't laugh.”  
  
“No, I didn't,” Ignis said when he managed to contain himself for a moment, before bursting into laughter again. He eventually managed to control himself, although Gladiolus was looking more and more red with every moment that passed. “What, pray tell, did you do to yourself this time?”  
  
“I didn't do anything,” Gladiolus grumbled, his fingers going to grab the hair at the back of his neck but freezing when there was nothing there. Ignis knew he'd been growing his hair out ever since the first time he'd beaten Cor in a fight, and his earlier anger was forgotten under the need to find out why Gladiolus was suddenly completely bald.  
  
He looked adorable, in all honesty, and Ignis actually liked it more than the messy mop he'd had before.  
  
He might have had a dream or two about burying his hands into Gladiolus’ dark hair, but this...this was good too.  
  
“You've seen the portraits in the lower Citadel, right?”  
  
“There are a lot of portraits in the Citadel, Gladiolus. You're going to need to be more specific.”  
  
Gladiolus had now pulled his hood up over his cap as well, and he awkwardly shifted his weight around. “The Shield portraits.”

“Oh, I know the ones,” Ignis nodded. He hadn't spent much time studying them, considering that they were in a part of the Citadel that was open to the public, but he could vaguely recall what they looked like. Every Shield for the past several hundred years was immortalised in their own grand portrait, lining the wall opposite official portraits of each of Lucis’ rulers.  
  
And each and every one of them, including the women who had served as Shields, was-  
  
“Yeah, well because they were all fucking bald, now I gotta be as well until my portrait is finished.”  
  
Of course, Ignis remembered that Gladiolus had recently turned eighteen. There had been an official party, though it hadn't been as opulent as the one that would be held for his twentieth birthday; still, Ignis had somehow managed to miss connecting the dots. It was tradition that portraits would be done at eighteen for those who needed them, and yet it seemed to have slipped his mind.  
  
“You don't like it?” Ignis asked, itching for another look. It was certainly a different style, but it was nice.  
  
“I look like my dad,” Gladiolus grumbled, fitting his hood a little more firmly. “I was so much hotter with hair.”  
  
“I don't know,” Ignis said, feeling a little mischievous now that his humiliation had dissipated. “Lord Amicitia is a rather good-looking man.”  
  
“Iggy,” Gladiolus whined, sounding far younger than he looked. “That's my dad.”  
  
“And he's a...what's the word...oh! A DILF!”  
  
“Iggy, I'm totally serious here, if you don't stop I'm gonna have to cut your tongue out.”  
  
“But then how will I…”  
  
He didn't actually have an end to the sentence but Gladiolus reacted as expected, lunging forward barehanded in an attempt to grab Ignis by the waist. Ignis was faster, though, and he barely managed to twist back and avoid Gladiolus’ reaching hands.  
  
“C’mere,” Gladiolus growled playfully, advancing on Ignis as he danced back, making sure to stay out of reach. Ignis was feeling reckless, and he knew that his smile was more than a little flirtatious as he toyed with Gladiolus.  
  
Although Gladiolus was faster than he looked, his training had focused on strength while Ignis had worked on speed and flexibility. It was probably the one physical area where he had an advantage, and Ignis was more than willing to exploit that advantage and dodge every one of Gladiolus’ lunges. Gladio was alternating between laughing and growling, and Ignis hadn't felt so free in years.  
  
He loved working for the Crown, adored the fact that he got to look after Noctis for his job. But his life was carefully planned out, almost to the minute, and there wasn't a lot of time left for him to simply be young and playful. Gladiolus was in much the same boat, although his days weren't quite as planned out as Ignis’, and so Ignis was ecstatic that he could put such obvious joy on Gladiolus’ face.  
  
Even if Ignis was faster, though, Gladiolus certainly had more stamina than he did, and soon enough Ignis could feel himself tiring out and slowing down. Gladiolus’ fingers were beginning to brush his shirt on nearly every lunge, and Ignis nearly fell when Gladiolus missed his torso completely and ended up accidentally running his fingers down Ignis’ bare arm.  
  
Ignis had never had such a sudden reaction to such a simple touch, and his heart was pounding from something other than exertion.  
  
“I've almost got you,” Gladiolus laughed, settling into a low position and eyeing Ignis like a predatory animal would. “You're running out of steam, and quick.”  
  
He was right, but Ignis would never admit it out loud. Instead, he searched his mind for a plan of attack, trying not to visibly react when he remembered a highly experimental technique he'd been working on with Marshal Leonis. It was new enough that there was no way for Gladiolus to have seen it, and it would be legendary if Ignis managed to pull it off.  
  
If he failed, he at least hoped that Gladiolus would get a good laugh out of it.

This time, when Gladiolus came running at him, Ignis didn't try to slip away. Instead, he moved forward to meet Gladiolus halfway, taking advantage of Gladiolus’ momentary confusion to firmly plant his hands on strong, broad shoulders and jump.  
  
Before Gladiolus could work out what had happened, Ignis used his momentum to flip over Gladiolus’ head and leave him stumbling from the unexpected weight on his shoulders. Barely a moment after hitting the ground behind Gladiolus, Ignis was turning and slamming himself into Gladiolus’ unsteady frame, sending them both to the ground like a sack of Leiden potatoes.  
  
Sprawled out in a pile of tangled limbs, Ignis almost regretted his plan because of the way he was now laying on top of Gladiolus, their position a little too close to the ones in some of Ignis’ more exciting dreams. But Gladiolus’ eyes were sparkling as he steadied Ignis on top of him with one hand, and Ignis wouldn't have changed the moment for the world.  
  
“That's an amazing trick you got there.” Gladiolus sounded breathless, and Ignis swallowed hard before he could reply.  
  
“It's something new that we've been working on.” Looking down at Gladiolus beneath him, Ignis noticed that his hood and hat had been knocked askew from the fall. Before he could stop himself, Ignis was sweeping them off completely, leaving Gladiolus completely exposed.  
  
As he went, the short bristles of Gladiolus’ remaining hair scraped gently against his fingers, and the feeling made him want to do it again.  
  
He managed to restrain himself, though, and instead he slipped off Gladiolus’ body so that they could both sit up and face each other.  
  
“You got me,” Gladiolus conceded, running a bashful hand over his shaved head. “Looks dumb, hey?”  
  
“Not at all,” Ignis said, and he must have been six again because his fingers were twitching with the urge to touch. “You look...mature.”  
  
“Yeah, sure. Guess that's why Cor laughs every time he sees me, right?”  
  
“The Marshal can laugh?” Ignis asked, only semi-seriously.  
  
“Well, not like normal people do,” Gladiolus said with a smirk. “But he has this slightly less frowny expression that I know means he's laughing at me in his head.”  
  
“...If you say so. But perhaps he's just smug that you finally had to shave your head.”  
  
“Short back and sides,” they both said together, Gladiolus flopping back with laughter as Ignis covered his mouth and laughed until his shoulders shook.  
  
“You gotta admit, that was a genius plan I had back then,” Gladiolus said as he sat back up, wiping at one eye.  
  
Ignis just raised an eyebrow, remembering things a little differently. “I seem to recall it being less than genius when you turned up at my door and asked for my help.”  
  
“Hey, at least I never told Cor that you were involved. I think he figured it out, though.” Shrugging, Gladiolus rolled his neck to work out the kinks, leaving Ignis staring at the movements of his muscles and tendons.  
  
He wanted to lick them, and right then and there he couldn't think of any reason why that was a bad idea.  
  
“You know what they say about bald heads?” Ignis asked before he could rethink it, already reaching forward to run a hand through Gladiolus’ bristly and yet surprisingly soft hair.  
  
“What?” Gladiolus asked, and the fact that he didn't move away- he actually seemed to lean into the touch- gave Ignis the courage he needed to continue.  
  
“They say you should rub them for good luck.” Demonstrating the idea, Ignis could have run his hands over Gladiolus’ short hair forever. His scalp was warm under Ignis’ touch, and he seemed to be enjoying it.  
  
“...Okay, who is they and why were they saying that?”  
  
“Hmm?” Ignis asked, too caught up in what he was doing to immediately process the question. “Oh! It was years ago, when King Regis was asking how my exams were going and I was a little nervous about them. He...may or may not have used your rather unamused-looking father to show me what he meant.”  
  
“Astrals,” Gladiolus groaned, although he still hadn't moved away from Ignis’ hand. “Why are they such weird old guys?”

All Ignis could do was laugh, and then they were silent for a while as Ignis continued to idly scratch his fingers across Gladiolus’ scalp. He didn't even realise he was still going until Gladiolus pointedly cleared his throat, making Ignis snatch his hand back like he'd been burned.  
  
“You were at it for a while,” Gladiolus smirked. “You need a lot of luck for something?”  
  
“I...I suppose,” Ignis stammered, nervously licking his lips. Gladiolus certainly hadn't shied away from his touch, but that didn't mean he would reciprocate what Ignis was planning. “I'm about to do something very stupid, so some luck would be greatly appreciated right now.”  
  
“Wait, what?” Gladiolus asked, suddenly serious. “Iggy, if you're in trouble or something…”  
  
“Oh, no, nothing like that,” Ignis rushed to reassure him. “It's just that…”  
  
His words failing him for once, Ignis took a steadying breath before he threw caution to the wind and leaned forward.  
  
He knew the theory of what he was doing, but in practice it was a little harder than it looked and his lips awkwardly caught the corner of Gladiolus’ mouth. There was stunned silence for a moment before Ignis threw himself back, taking Gladiolus’ lack of reaction as a rejection.  
  
“I'm sorry,” Ignis started, babbling a little bit the way he hadn't since he was a child. “I must have misread some signals, I don't want to make you uncomfortable…”  
  
“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Gladiolus said, and this time it was his hand that brushed through Ignis’ unstyled hair before trailing down his face and cupping his jaw. “You caught me by surprise is all. We can do better than that.”  
  
With Gladiolus taking the lead, Ignis found that their second kiss was much better than their first. It certainly seemed that Gladiolus had more of an idea of what he was doing, and Ignis was left shaking by the time he pulled away.  
  
“I think your luck worked,” Gladiolus said with a grin, still cupping Ignis’ face with one big hand. His thumb was gently stroking Ignis’ cheekbone, and Ignis leaned into the touch much as Gladio had done to him earlier.  
  
“I've wanted to do that for a long time,” Ignis admitted, his pink cheeks making Gladiolus smile. “Thank you.”  
  
“Wait, why are you thanking me?” Gladiolus laughed, catching Ignis off-guard by leaning in to peck his lips again. “You're the one who was game enough to actually do something about...all this.”  
  
“Yes, well, I'm mostly just glad you didn't hit me and storm off.”  
  
“I would never,” Gladiolus said, looking horrified. “I thought you wouldn't like me.”  
  
There were a few beats of silence and then Ignis laughed, the sound echoing around the otherwise empty training room. Gladiolus joined in after a moment, and they continued to set each other off until they were desperately clinging to each other to stay upright.  
  
Eventually the laughter trailed off, and Ignis shyly looked up from where he was leaning heavily on Gladiolus’ shoulder. “I really like you...Gladio.”  
  
“Yeah,” Gladio said, a soft smile on his face that brightened his eyes and made Ignis melt. “I really like you too, Iggy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [From now until October 10th, 2017, I'm running a giveaway on my Tumblr! Enter for a chance to win some absolutely awesome Gladnis doujin!](http://socialdegenerate.tumblr.com/post/165506874736/gades-gladnis-giveaway-ends-oct-10th-2017)


	4. 22/23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm pretty sure that this is how you get those, like, parasites that swim up your dick."  
> (Your esteemed author)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again posting from my phone, so sorry for any formatting or autocorrect fails

“I am filthy,” Ignis said as he banished his daggers, wincing at the mud and guts that felt like they were sinking into his very pores.

“Yeah, you are,” Gladio chimed in, although it was soft and distracted, missing his usual loud, flirtatious charm. He seemed more interested in inspecting his blade for damage, their latest hunt having been far more dangerous than the tipster had told them. 

It had been a knock-down, drag-out fight, and Ignis vaguely wondered if it was gauche to hint that the misinformation deserved higher compensation.

Still, he gave Gladio a tired eyeroll before reaching down to help Prompto up from the ground. “Let's get back to the haven before more of them decide to visit us.”

Sending his sword back into nothingness, Gladio hauled Noctis close. Neither of them were injured but their bone-deep exhaustion was obvious, even as Gladio exerted more energy just to keep Noctis moving. 

Their chocobos were waiting for them as they left the dense forest area, and Ignis had never been so glad to see their feathered companions. Walking to the haven was not an attractive prospect, and at least their chocobos were full of energy.

Despite the fact that Noctis had to be lifted onto his chocobo and then spent most of the ride looking like he was about to slip off, they managed to make it to the faintly glowing rock without incident. The Regalia, parked on the side of the road nearby, seemed an unfathomable distance away; and yet Ignis knew that he had to push forward.

Thankfully Gladio was already on the same train of thought, directing Noctis and Prompto to the haven before continuing past it. Between the two of them, they managed to get their chocobos loaded up with equipment fairly quickly, working silently but in perfect tandem. The trip back to the haven was equally as quiet, talking a waste of the energy that they just didn't have.

Ignis still couldn't relax once he and Gladio returned to the haven, though. All four of them were filthy and stinking, and there was no way he was letting anyone stay that way. It wasn't easy to coax Prompto and Noctis back up off the ground, neither of them seeming to mind that they were lying flat on the hard rock, but with enough bribery and heavy lifting all four of them were back on their chocobos and headed for the nearby river.

They'd long since gotten over any sensitivity regarding being naked around each other, but Ignis had to admit that he was glad that Noctis at least found the energy to undress himself. That was perhaps taking things a little too far.

...even if he barely made it five steps into the water before falling face-first into it.

Prompto was next in, hauling Noctis over to float on his back on the off chance that he decided not to fix his own position. Ignis followed behind, handing out soap, shampoo and conditioner as he went. He tried not to look at the others as they all cleaned themselves, but he swore he could feel Gladio’s eyes on him; that wasn't much of a surprise, considering that he was naked and wet in a waist-deep stream.

Still, Ignis ignored his boyfriend, focusing instead on scrubbing the dirt and monster gunk from his skin. He was feeling better by the second, and had just dunked his head underwater to rinse off his conditioner when Prompto and Noctis dragged themselves to shore.

“We're going back,” Prompto announced, holding up his hand to cut off Ignis before he could invite himself to join them. “Stay, Iggy. We're just gonna nap so you might as well enjoy the quiet.”

Frowning, Ignis glanced up at the sky. There were still several hours of daylight left, and the two could easily defend themselves against the local wildlife. And yet, he still felt like he was abandoning his duty…

“Besides, the big guy's making eyes at you. Pay him some attention before he starts doing dumb shit to get it,” Noctis laughed.

“Oi!” Gladio grumbled, futilely flicking water in Noctis’ direction. “I'm not a horny garula, you dick.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Noctis said with a grin, flicking Gladio off as he quickly towelled himself dry. “As long as I don't have to hear you trying to get some in the tent, I don't care what you do.”

“Later,” Prompto chimed in, giving a casual wave. “We'll be fine.”

Looking slightly more energetic than before, the pair of them hopped up onto their chocobos and disappeared in the direction of the haven. As soon as they were out of sight, Ignis wasn't surprised to feel a body pressing against his back as arms wrapped around his waist.

“He's an idiot, but he's not totally wrong,” Gladio said into Ignis’ ear, laughing softly and trailing his lips down Ignis’ neck. “You look good all messed up but you look even better like this.”

Taking a second to assess the situation, Ignis ran through the facts in his mind. They were alone in a reasonably secluded location, without having seen any strangers in several days. The stream didn't seem to be the home of anything dangerous, and the sky was clear enough that they'd see a Magitek carrier coming from miles away.

He was still tired, but his boyfriend’s affection was as good as a shot of coffee- sometimes. He could go for a little light touching.

And then he reached behind him to run his hand through Gladio’s hair, only to have his fingers hit a disgusting mat of mud and tangled hair.

Pulling free from Gladio’s arms, Ignis turned around and grabbed Gladio’s shoulders to encourage him to turn as well. He winced when he saw the mess at the back of Gladio’s head, immediately reaching over to snag the bottle of shampoo that Gladio had left floating in the water.

“Did you even try to clean that up?” He asked, not wasting any time as he dumped a good amount in his free hand.

“Must’ve missed it,” Gladio said, sinking a little lower in the water and giving a little noise of pleasure as Ignis slowly started to untangle his hair. “You're better at this than me, anyway.”

“I'll shave it off while you're sleeping if you don't take care of it,” Ignis muttered, not for the first time. Gladio's hair had long since hit the longest it had ever been, but having a shaved head had made him lazy about haircare until Ignis put his foot down.

As much as he loved Gladio, Ignis wasn't letting his hands near a greasy, tangled mop of split ends.

“We both know I looked ridiculous with no hair,” Gladio pointed out. “Like you'd voluntarily go back to that.”

“I thought you looked rather cute. Cute enough to kiss, at least,” Ignis said, lifting Gladio’s hair for long enough to put a quick peck at the nape of his neck. “We might have never gotten together had you stayed scruffy.”

Gladio just laughed, the slightest hint of ticklishness making his shoulders roll. “I don't wanna say that teenage you had bad taste, but…”

Tugging a little on Gladio’s hair, Ignis clicked his tongue. “You're right, sometimes I don't know why I'm dating you.”

“It's because you love me,” Gladio cooed obnoxiously, outright moaning when Ignis freed the last of the tangles and began running his fingers from root to tip. 

“Bahamut knows why,” Ignis signed, suppressing a smile. “You can't even clean your own hair properly.”

“But you're so good with your hands,” Gladio managed to say before Ignis pressed on the top of his head, catching him off-guard and sending him underwater. He was laughing when he resurfaced with the shampoo rinsed out, though, and he handed Ignis the bottle of conditioner after regaining his bearings.

Now that the mud was washed out, Ignis took his time to work the conditioner through Gladio’s hair. Gladio always melted under the slightest hint of pampering, whether that meant a massage after training or Ignis leisurely sucking his cock for an hour on a lazy Sunday morning; he was happy and pliant under Ignis’ hands, and Ignis had to admit that Gladio’s pleased moans were making him think about something else.

He ignored it in favour of gently tipping Gladio back into the water, though. His fingers slid easily through Gladio’s clean hair as he made sure the conditioner was completely gone, and Gladio seemed reluctant to open his eyes.

“Thank you, Iggy,” he said in a lazy but pleased voice, kicking back to float freely in the water. “‘Preciate it.”

“You're welcome,” Ignis said, collecting their supplies from the water and wading back to the bank to deposit them with their clothes. “Ready to return?”

“Mmm...why don't we stay here for a while longer? It's not that late yet.”

Ignis only hesitated for a moment before agreeing, meeting Gladio back in the centre of the stream. 

Moving until he was standing in the water, Gladio gestured over his shoulder. “I saw a secluded bit of greenery over there. You wanna check it out? Sun bake for a bit?”

“Your tattoo will fade if you're not careful,” Ignis pointed out, trailing his index finger down the length of Gladio’s spine.

“She'll be right,” Gladio said, the picture of unconcerned relaxation. Still, Ignis let Gladio take his wrist and lead him to the promised area, pleasantly surprised by the thick grass carpeting the ground and the trees hiding them from sight.

“Nicer than I thought,” Gladio said with an impressed whistle. He gave the grass a cursory once over before flopping down onto it, stretching out on his back and beckoning for Ignis to join him. “Comfy, too.”

Ignis was a little more careful in checking for pests and potentially dangerous plants, but the area seemed to pass inspection. Lowering himself to the ground, he propped his head onto Gladio’s bare shoulder and let his naked body sink into the grass. “This is nice,” he said eventually, his voice quiet and tired. “Don't let me fall asleep.”

“Why not?” Gladio asked, running a hand up and down Ignis’ arm. “I can keep watch. Trust me.”

“You know I do,” Ignis said, already dozing off despite his best efforts. “...Don’t let me sleep too long, then.”

“You got it,” Gladio said. “Sleep well, Ignis.”

His eyes closing, Ignis relaxed a little further against Gladio. If there was one person on all of Eos whom Ignis trusted to make decisions for him, it was Gladio. They were both completely naked and resting practically in the open, but Ignis wasn't worried.

Not with Gladio right there.

When he woke up, the sun hadn't moved too far in the sky, but he himself had curled up against Gladio’s side. Gladio’s hand was stroking absently at his neck, making Ignis shiver, and he tilted his face up to see that Gladio had his free hand propped under his head as he stared at the sky. 

“Hey,” Gladio said when he felt Ignis move, his fingers going from lightly stroking to a more firm motion. “Feel better?”

“I do,” Ignis said, stretching languidly but being careful not to dislodge Gladio’s hand. He froze when, upon rolling further into Gladio and knocking his crotch against Gladio’s solid thigh, he realised that his cock hadn't been as asleep as the rest of him; but Gladio just hummed happily.

“Had a fun dream, obviously.”

“I don't remember,” Ignis said truthfully. He wasn't sure if he'd even dreamt at all, but it didn't matter when Gladio was moving his leg just enough to send little shocks of pleasure through Ignis’ entire body. “Mmm, that's nice.”

“Good,” Gladio said. “Let me return the favour from before and take care of you.”

Maybe he was still a little sleep-dazed, or maybe it just didn't matter, but Ignis wasn't concerned that they were outside. Sure, some part of him was keeping an eye out for potential problems, but he allowed Gladio to roll them until he was on his back with Gladio half on top of him.

They'd been camping for far too long, and there didn't look to be separate motel rooms in their immediate future; he was feeling a little too pent-up to really care.

“Relax,” Gladio murmured, his beard scratching against Ignis’ cheek as he leant in for a kiss. Ignis met him with eager lips and tongue, their new position meaning that Ignis was now the one feeling Gladio get hard against him. It was still a heady feeling, even after so many years: Ignis didn't think he would ever really get over the knowledge that Gladiolus Amicitia loved and wanted him.

But the big hand tracing over his chest and rubbing at his nipples was unmistakeable in its intent, and Ignis let his legs fall a little further open as Gladio teased his nipples to hard points.

“You beautiful, eager man,” Gladio said in an affectionate voice, gently tracing his nails down to Ignis’ abdominal muscles. “I love you.”

Gladio's next kiss stole Ignis’ chance to respond, so he focused on communicating his own feelings without words. Clutching at Gladio’s shoulder, the skin long dry from their time in the sun, Ignis made sure that Gladio knew how much he appreciated every little thing Gladio was doing for him.

Ignis’ whole body shook when Gladio’s hand finally reached his groin, only for him to groan when Gladio bypassed his straining cock completely. 

“Shhh,” Gladio soothed, running the tips of his fingers over Ignis’ balls and further down to his perineum. “I've got you. There's lube in my bag if you want me to get it, but…”

“Don't leave,” Ignis interrupted, grabbing Gladio’s shoulder a little more firmly. “This is fine- more than fine.”

“Good,” Gladio said, going for another kiss as one dry finger traced circles around Ignis’ tight asshole. He didn't try to push inside, but Ignis was practically a panting wreck from the light, teasing touches anyway. He was sensitive, and Gladio knew it.

“You're beautiful like this,” Gladio said once he finally released Ignis’ lips. “Relaxed and naked, letting me bring you pleasure. I wish I could keep you like this forever.”

It was a nice thought, and Ignis didn't let the fact that it was utterly unrealistic bother him for once. “There's no one I'd rather have with me, Gladio.”

“Damn well hope so,” Gladio laughed against Ignis’ neck, his tongue darting out to leave a slick path along the skin under his mouth. His fingers were still dancing along Ignis’ asshole and perineum, occasionally going so far as to lightly massage Ignis’ balls, and Ignis couldn't stop his hips from grinding in little circles.

“Gladio,” Ignis said, licking his lips before raising his palm to his mouth and wetting a thick stripe up it, “let me touch you, too.”

He wanted Gladio to feel as good as he did, wanted to see the way Gladio’s fell apart whenever his big cock came. Thankfully, with only a little maneuvering, Ignis managed to fit his hand between their bodies until he could wrap his fingers around Gladio’s dick.

“Feels good,” Gladio grunted, finally returning the favour and taking Ignis properly in a spit-slick hand. “Let me hear you.”

“Likewise,” Ignis managed to say before he moaned, his spine curling a little when Gladio gave him a good stroke. They alternated between trading kisses and moaning freely, the knowledge that their partner was lost in pleasure sending each of their own pleasures higher in turn.

When Gladio tucked his face into Ignis’ neck, it was obvious that he was almost ready to come. His body was already starting to shake as he thrust his hips against Ignis’ hand, and Ignis was panting and gasping at how hot the whole thing was.

“Iggy,” Gladio moaned, his thrusts becoming sharper and more final, “you're going to make me come.”

“I know,” Ignis said, swallowing hard. Despite everything, Gladio's rhythm on his cock hadn't faltered, and he squirmed in anticipation of Gladio coming on him. “Let go.”

As immense and unbothered as he usually was, Gladio was always strangely vulnerable through his orgasms, shaking uncontrollably and preferring to press his face against Ignis’ skin than let himself be seen. Ignis loved that he was the one who got to see Gladio like that, and he moaned almost as loudly as Gladio did when he felt come splash against his skin.

Even when Gladio’s hand finally slowed down, a Ignis didn't care. He could still thrust up into Gladio’s loose grip, and it didn't take too long for Gladio to pull himself together again.

“I've got you,” Gladio promised again, his thumb working the head of Ignis’ cock until he felt like his legs were melting. The feeling only got worse when Gladio abruptly let him go, sliding down his body and sucking him between his lips.

“Fuck!” Ignis gasped at the sudden feeling of Gladio’s warm, wet mouth. 

“Maybe later,” Gladio grinned as he pulled back for a second, winking at Ignis before immediately going back in for more. Ignis’ fingers wound into Gladio’s hair before he really noticed what he was doing, and the heat in his gut was getting unbearable.

“You feel so good,” Ignis mumbled, his hips working hard even as Gladio moved to hold them down with his big hands. “Please, Gladio, make me come.”

He felt Gladio hum around him and gasped sharply, arching off the ground. It was lucky that the grass was so thick, considering how hard he hit on the way back down, but his mind couldn't process anything except pleasure in that moment. Gladio knew exactly how to play his body, and Ignis was quickly losing control.

“Oh!” He yelped, his fingers briefly tightening in Gladio’s hair. “Oh, love, I can't…”

Trailing off in a loud moan, Ignis writhed against Gladio's unbreakable hold, feeling Gladio swallow around him as his come flooded Gladio’s mouth.

His hips were still idly flexing when Gladio let him go and sat up, easily breaking Ignis’ now-loose grip on his hair. “Fuck, Igs.”

“I agree,” Ignis said breathlessly, staring at the slightly blurry sky above him. “Thank you.”

“Right back at you,” Gladio laughed. “You wanna return to reality yet?”

Glancing at the position of the sun, Ignis wrapped one hand around Gladio’s arm and tugged until they were both lying in the grass again. “Not yet. They'll be fine for a little longer without us.”

“Never thought I'd hear you say that,” Gladio said. “Definitely not complaining, though.”

“Someone clearly blew away my common sense,” Ignis said, smirking when Gladio groaned. “Come on, don't be like that. Your skills are really quite handy.”

“I forgot how annoying you are when you're relaxed,” Gladio grumbled, tickling Ignis’ naked side until he squirmed. “Just for that, I'm not gonna stop Noct and Prom from teasing you about this.”

“I'm not particularly worried about that,” Ignis smiled. “They do like to eat, after all.”

“I hate that you're always right.”

“No, you don't.”

“...Yeah, you're right,” Gladio said as he tucked Ignis firmly into his side. “I love you, shitty sex puns and all.”

“I love you too,” Ignis said, letting Gladio thoroughly snuggle him. “Regardless of what happens.”

“Of course,” Gladio said, and they both knew that it was true.

No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [From now until October 10th, 2017, I'm running a giveaway on my Tumblr! Enter for a chance to win some absolutely awesome Gladnis doujin!](http://socialdegenerate.tumblr.com/post/165506874736/gades-gladnis-giveaway-ends-oct-10th-2017)


	5. 29/30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This chapter has no plot...wait, this entire fic has no plot!"  
> (Your esteemed author)

The atmosphere in the truck was tense, everyone on board perpetually ready for danger despite the  daemon-repelling headlights. They could take as many precautions as possible, but traveling was never truly safe now that the daylight was gone.

Nothing was ever truly safe anymore.

But they’d done the best they could, settling as many people as possible in Lestallum and establishing outposts across Lucis for the ones that wouldn’t or couldn’t fit. Ignis’ experience with Insomnian refugee policy had led to him being regularly called upon in Lestallum, to the point where he’d decided to make that his base.

It had been a difficult decision for Gladio to base himself out of Meldacio, but Ignis understood that he had to go where he could be of the most use. They, along with Prompto, Cor and Iris, were tag-carrying hunters now, a career that had never lent itself to an easy, stable life.

That fact had only become more clear as the daemon population had grown exponentially, and Ignis hadn’t placed his hands on Gladio in months. They’d barely even spoken, considering that the daemons had long since taken out the phone towers, the fixing of which wasn’t exactly a priority when struggling daily for food, clean water and basic survival.

But word had been sent to Lestallum that Gladio had requested him to assist on an important hunt, and Ignis had agreed instantly. Although he felt that he had worked his way back to being a competent fighter, it often seemed like he was being sidelined in favour of rookies; but Gladio had never doubted in his abilities.

Of course, if Gladio was specifically requesting him, that meant the hunt was going to be particularly difficult. It was perhaps not the best reaction, but Ignis could feel his blood singing in his veins, excitement pulsing through him at the thought of a decent fight. He felt bad to be living safely in Lestallum while everyone else fought, even though he took hunts whenever he could, and he was ready to do his part.

“Almost there,” the driver announced, probably more for Ignis’ sake than anyone else’s. Taking a deep breath, Ignis forced his fingers not to tap impatiently against his leg.

Gladio was so close, and Ignis couldn’t wait to hold him and reassure himself that they were both still alive.

The truck was surrounded by hunters the moment that it parked, pulling boxes of supplies from the back and distributing them as needed. Ignis didn’t care about any of that, though. He was listening for one thing, and one thing only.

“Iggy.”

Turning in the direction of the voice as he stepped out of the truck, Ignis grabbed his cane and made a quick path to his lover. He didn’t really need the cane to get around anymore, but he liked the reassuring weight of the thin knife it concealed. 

He dropped it as soon as thick arms wrapped around him, though, letting it clatter to the ground as he clutched onto Gladio in return.

“Iggy,” Gladio murmured again in a thick voice, burying his face into Ignis’ hair. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Ignis said back, his voice equally low as he ran his hands along Gladio’s back- bare, of course- and catalogued his scars. They both had a number of new ones now, but Ignis couldn’t feel anything worth worrying about just yet.

He’d have to lay Gladio down for a proper examination later, but while they were standing in front of everyone else he just let Gladio keep hugging him. 

When he was afforded a little wriggle room, Ignis managed to slip his hands between their bodies, running up Gladio’s chest and neck before settling on his face. Gladio let Ignis do as he would, his fingers learning the lines of Gladio’s features again, refreshing his memories and painting him a new picture of how Gladio was changing as he aged. 

Thankfully he still only seemed to have the two old scars on his face, the ones that had always caught Ignis’ eyes and brought a unique beauty to his face. Ignis could only hope that his own scarring looked half as good, despite how much more extensive it was.

But Gladio had become fond of pressing his lips to his what he called Ignis’ ‘beautiful starburst’, and although Ignis thought that might have been a rather romanticised take on the cosmetic damage, he had to admit that Gladio’s all-encompassing love left him warm inside.

“How long do we have until we set out?” Ignis finally asked, feeling Gladio break into a smile under his fingertips.

“Long enough for a qui-“

“Gladio,” Ignis interrupted, “don’t finish that sentence. You know I’d rather take my time with you after we get back.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Gladio laughed, grabbing Ignis’ hips and rubbing small circles against his skin with his thumbs. “Long enough for me to get presentable, because I just woke up. How’s that?”

“Knowing you and that mess you call a hairstyle, that could be anything from ten minutes to two hours.”

“Hey now,” Gladio said with fake hurt in his voice, “it’s not that bad.”

“A blind man could tell that it looks awful,” Ignis said, his voice as dry as Hammerhead in July. Sliding his fingers back into Gladio’s hair and immediately catching them on snags and tangles, he tutted. “See? Is this how you live when I’m not around?”

“Well, Iris hasn’t been around for a while either, to be fair,” Gladio snorted, taking one of Ignis’ wrists and lowering it until he could comfortably hold Ignis’ hand.

“Oh?” Ignis asked, snagging his cane off the ground before allowing himself to be led to the small cabin that he, Gladio, Iris and Cor used whenever any of them were in the area. 

“Yeah,” Gladio explained. “She and Cor have been working with Prom for the last month of so, over east. She’s kicking ass and taking names with the best of ‘em.”

Gladio’s hand was warm and soothing around Ignis’ own, and his voice was bursting with the kind of brotherly pride he only got when it came to Iris- and, occasionally in years long gone, when Noctis did something particularly impressive.

Astrals, Ignis loved him.

“Step up,” Gladio warned, and Ignis followed the instruction without thinking about it. It was what made them such an effective team in the field: Gladio would follow Ignis’ strategies without question, and Ignis trusted Gladio with his very life. That had been the case before everything had gone to shit, but it hadn’t been too much of a jump to start trusting Gladio to be his eyes.

Ignis could fight fine without Gladio, but they were spectacular together.

“Give me the brush?” Ignis asked once they were inside, not wanting to break contact with Gladio now that he had him. It had been too long, and Ignis would take what he could get.

“Make me look hot,” Gladio snickered as he tossed the brush in Ignis’ direction. Anticipating the action, Ignis snatched it easily out of the air before flipping it a few times, treating it like one of his daggers.

“Love it when you do that,” Gladio said, walking over and wrapping both arms around Ignis’ waist. “It’s really sexy.”

“You think everything I do is sexy,” Ignis scoffed, allowing himself to melt into Gladio’s arms now that they weren’t in full view of an audience. 

“It’s true though,” Gladio mumbled against Ignis’ neck, his warm breath making Ignis shiver.

“We’ll never be ready to go at this rate,” Ignis said, although he made no move to escape Gladio’s clutches. “I refuse to be seen with an unkempt partner.”

“Well, I guess we can’t have that,” Gladio sighed, reluctantly letting Ignis go after pecking his lips a few times. “Here, sit down.”

Dragging a chair up behind Ignis, Gladio waited for him to sit before he dropped to the ground between Ignis’ feet. It was a position they’d been in countless times before, and Ignis sighed as he smoothed his hands over Gladio’s hair.

“I’ve missed this. Us.” 

“Me too,” Gladio said, circling one hand around Ignis’ ankle and rubbing his thumb over the jutting bone. “But we gotta do what we gotta do.”

Humming his agreement, Ignis gathered up the ends of Gladio’s hair, beginning to tackle the knots there. He could already feel Gladio going limp and relaxed underneath him, still as weak for pampering as he’d ever been.

“How’s Lestallum?” Gladio eventually asked, his voice languid. He was still petting Ignis’ ankle, but the motions had gone slow and lazy.

“It’s...hectic. A lot of people, not a lot of resources. But we’re managing.”

“And Victoria?” 

“Putting the fear of Bahamut into one and all,” Ignis said with a small smile. His mother was a formidable woman, as evidenced by the fact that she had made her way from their village to a Lestallum refugee camp without dying along the way. It had been pure luck that she’d seen him and Gladio walking through Lestallum together not long after she had arrived, considering that their contact had been cut off when the phone towers started falling.

Ignis hadn’t even known whether she was still alive, but he should have never doubted her resilience.

“That is one fine woman,” Gladio said, sounding theatrically awed. “If you ever leave me, I know where I’ll go next.”

“She’d have you, no doubt. Guess I’ll just never have to let you go.” Satisfied with his work on the ends, Ignis ran his fingers through them a little before turning his attention to the mid-section of

Gladio’s hair. “She’s forever asking whether I’ve heard from my handsome boyfriend.”

“Good to know I’ve got options,” Gladio laughed, and a thought occurred to Ignis as he tackled a particularly stubborn knot. 

“Is your preoccupation with my mother supposed to be payback for that time I called your father a DILF?”

“Maybe a little,” Gladio said. “Took you long enough to remember.”

“How could I forget that Amicitia beauty,” Ignis sighed dramatically. “Are you going grey yet, Gladio? I’m sure you’ll make quite the silver fox.”

“Keep that up and I will leave you for your mother,” Gladio grumbled. “For your information, my hair is as dark as it ever was.”

“Well, you’re thirty now, so you never know,” Ignis said, leaning down to press a kiss to the- still thoroughly covered- crown of Gladio’s head. “But I’ll still love you when you’re old and grey.”

“You’re a sap, Scientia.”

“I won’t have to look at you, after all,” Ignis finished with a grin, running the brush through Gladio’s untangled hair.

“I take it back, you’re a dick.”

Ignis just laughed, setting the brush down so that he could run his fingers through Gladio’s hair instead. “Your hair’s getting long. I can only imagine that it looks beautiful...when it’s properly brushed.”

Ignoring that comment, Gladio made little pleased moans at the feeling of Ignis massaging his scalp, but eventually he cleared his throat. “Hey, Iggy?”

“Yes, love?”

“Iris and Cor said they’re thinking about coming back to Meldacio for good, more or less.”

“Oh?” Ignis said, teasing Gladio’s scalp with gentle presses of his nails. “That’ll be good for you.”

“That’s the thing. If they’re here, the guild won’t need me so much.”

“Gladio…”

“Got room for me in Lestallum?”

“Always,” Ignis said, warmth building in his stomach as he stood up and tugged Gladio along with him. “For you, anything.”

Hooking his arms around Gladio’s neck, Ignis dragged him down into a deep kiss. It threatened to turn filthy, but a sharp knock on the door interrupted them before Gladio’s hands could wander too far. Pulling back, Ignis ran his hands through Gladio’s hair one more time before fetching his cane again. “We can talk about this later, but I would adore having you in Lestallum. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Gladio said, pinching Ignis’ ass as he walked up behind him. “Now, let’s go rain some death on these daemons.”

Feeling Noctis’ magic flowing through his body, Ignis tucked his hand into Gladio’s and stepped outside, ready to protect the world that the Chosen King had left in their care.

Darkness, daemons, despair: none of it mattered.

With Gladio by his side, there was nothing they couldn’t do.


	6. 32/33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh no, he's hot!"  
> (Gladio at frequent points during his life, probably)

Gladio couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t loved Ignis.

Of course, he knew that couldn’t be right: what seven year old fell in love at first sight? He was fairly certain that he must have fallen in love with Ignis later, but he just couldn’t pinpoint when.

All he knew was that when he looked back, all of his memories took on a hazy, happy glow that he only got when it came to Ignis. 

As far as he was concerned, he’d always loved Ignis. From the first time he’d met the obviously petrified kid with the weird accent, to the numerous times he’d run to Iggy to help him fix some stupid problem, to when he’d realised that he really, really wanted to kiss Iggy and beyond. 

The boy he’d loved had become the man he would always love, no matter what the world took from them.

Even when Ignis was shaking him awake after it felt like he’d only been asleep for a few minutes.

“Gladio,” Ignis hissed, taking a firmer grip on Gladio’s shoulder and shaking him harder. “Gladio!”

“Daemons?” Gladio mumbled, trying to force his eyes open. If something had managed to get into Lestallum, they were going to have bigger problems than a little lost sleep.

“No,” Ignis said, and Gladio realised that he sounded beyond unnerved.

“What’s wrong?” Gladio asked, sitting up and shoving his hair back out of his eyes. “Iggy, talk to me.”

“It’s N-...It’s Noct. I think.”

Inhaling sharply, Gladio stared into Ignis’ unseeing eyes, cupping Ignis’ face in his hands. Running his fingers over sharp cheekbones, Gladio let Ignis take hold of his wrists, more to ground himself than to pull Gladio away.

“What happened?”

Ignis hesitated for a moment, biting at his scarred lip before shuffling a little closer to Gladio. “Do you remember...back when Noct was a child...the guardian he used to say he had?”

Frowning, Gladio thought back, the words stirring something in the back of his mind. “The one he said looked like that little figure King Regis gave to him?”

“Yes,” Ignis confirmed, swallowing hard. “I...Astrals, it sounds stupid now that I say it out loud.”

“It’s not stupid,” Gladio immediately said, using his hold on Ignis’ face to gently pull him forward, dropping a kiss onto his forehead. “Tell me?”

“I dreamt that I saw it. The guardian. Or...I think it might have been a messenger.”

“You saw it?” Gladio asked, rubbing his thumb gently over the scarring that burst over Ignis’ eye. That was enough for Ignis to understand what he meant, and Ignis gave a solemn nod.

“I saw it. He said that Noct...that Noct’s been sleeping for ten years, but that it’s almost time for him to wake up.” Ignis sounded stricken, like he didn’t know whether he really believed what he was saying, or maybe like he thought Gladio would laugh at him.

“Do you think it was real?” Was all he had to say, and Ignis went still for a moment before he finally nodded.

“It didn’t feel like a normal dream.”

“Alright,” Gladio said. Ignis seemed a little shocked that Gladio had believed him so easily, but Gladio trusted Ignis with his life. Ignis’ hunches were usually right, so Gladio would do whatever Ignis wanted him to do. “Any word on where he’ll be?”

“I’m not sure, but…” Trailing off, Ignis frowned. “Is something at the door?”

Knowing better than to question Ignis’ hearing, Gladio pushed himself out of bed and snagged a pair of pants, hopping into them as he made his way to the door. Opening it, he frowned when he didn’t see anything, and was about to close the door again when something pressed into his legs.

Looking down, Gladio let out a low whistle.

“Gladio? What is it?”

Crouching, Gladio let out a disbelieving laugh as he scratched Umbra between the ears. “We’re seeing all kinds of messengers today. Umbra’s paid us a visit.”

“Umbra?” Ignis said sharply, following his mental image of the tiny studio to walk to Gladio’s side. “But we haven’t seen him since…”

Since Noct disappeared, Ignis didn’t bother saying. Placing a hand on Gladio’s shoulder, Ignis crouched beside him and held out his other hand, jumping just a little when Umbra’s wet nose touched his skin.

“I suppose this means that I’m not losing my mind,” Ignis murmured, letting Umbra lick at his fingers before petting the fur at his neck. “Do you have a notepad handy, Gladio?”

“Let me see what I can grab,” Gladio said, leaving Ignis to shut the door and guide Umbra over to their bed. After a little rustling, he managed to track down a scrap piece of paper and a miraculously working pen, turning back to the bed.

“Wha- hey!” Gladio exclaimed, looking at where Umbra was making himself at home on top of the bed. “Iggy, come on.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Ignis said innocently, still petting Umbra. “He needs to be well-rested if he’s going to be meeting Noct at Angelgard.”

“Angelgard?” Gladio asked, shifting the dog to the side so that he had room to sit next to Ignis. “That weird island near Galdin Quay? Who said anything about Angelgard?”

“I…” Ignis started, his brow furrowing. “I don’t know. But it feels…it feels right, just like I know we have to give Umbra a message for Noct.”

With a bitter laugh, Ignis placed his hand on Gladio’s thigh. “I sound positively ridiculous. Perhaps the darkness is finally getting to me.”

“No,” Gladio said sharply, resting his hand over Ignis’. “If you say it’s right, then it’s right. What d’you want me to write?”

“Tell him we’ll meet him at Hammerhead,” Ignis said confidently, although his hand was trembling underneath Gladio’s. “It’s the closest place with safe lights. We can send out patrols to find him from there.”

“Of course,” Gladio agreed, lightly knocking his shoulder against the strategist’s. Scribbling quickly, he wrote a short note for Noctis, hesitating before simply signing it with ‘your friends’. Folding the note, Gladio placed it where he’d seen the notebook countless times before, and Umbra barked once before jumping off the bed.

“Alright, alright,” Gladio grumbled, walking over to the door and opening it for Umbra. With another short bark, the dog disappeared into the endless night, and all Gladio could do was shake his head as he closed the door again. 

“I’m gonna go call Hammerhead and Meldacio, see who’s around. Prompto might have gotten a visit too, but better safe than sorry. You want to talk to Victoria before we leave?”

“Of course,” Ignis said, gratefully taking the clothes that Gladio handed him. He had tactile labels sewn into all his clothes to stop him from looking too tragic, of course, but he’d long since accepted that Gladio helped him out of love and not pity. Throwing his own shirt on, Gladio waited for Ignis to dress before opening the door, leaving Ignis to make his own way to his mother’s while Gladio ran to the Lestallum Hunter HQ.

The hunter radios were the most reliable form of communication and had been for years, so although no one at Meldacio knew how to contact Iris and Cor, it didn’t take long before a hunter at Hammerhead was fetching Prompto for him.

Prompto didn’t seem surprised to be hearing from Gladio, quickly confirming that he’d been visited as well. Running to a deadline, they kept their conversation short, despite the fact that Prompto’s desire to babble with nervous excitement was obvious.

“See you soon,” Gladio promised as the connection was cut, immediately leaving the radio room to find them a ride across Lucis.

As hard as he tried, Gladio couldn’t convince anyone to leave without two hours of notice, and he conceded after being reminded yet again that he was already pushing a scheduled delivery up by three hours.

Ignis wasn’t as visibly impatient when Gladio met him at his mother’s apartment, but the restless excitement and fear was obvious in how his voice shook just slightly. Leaving Victoria with a tight hug and a promise that they would both be back safely, Gladio stepped outside while Ignis gave his own goodbyes.

“We’ll be back soon,” Gladio said as he took Ignis’ hand, tangling their fingers together as they quickly returned to their apartment. 

Ignis just laughed, raising his free hand to touch the hair that he hadn’t bothered to do before going out. “She knows that much. She actually just told me to fix my hair before I embarrassed myself in front of the king.”

“Like Noct’s gonna care,” Gladio snorted, but Ignis made a beeline for the bathroom regardless. Deciding that the state of his own hair didn’t really matter, Gladio quickly ran a brush through it and tied the front bits back, ensuring that they would stay out of his eyes. With time to spare, he quickly packed a bag for each of them and left them by the front door, before taking a moment just to breathe.

Noctis was coming back. Really, actually coming back. He couldn’t believe it.

“Gladio?” Ignis called out, and Gladio’s head shot back up as he took a few long steps to their small bathroom. 

“Yeah?”

“I can’t,” Ignis started, taking a deep breath. “I can’t seem to stop shaking. Can you…”

“Of course,” Gladio said, immediately stepping up behind Ignis. Ignis whispered his thanks, his hands visibly trembling, and Gladio kissed the back of his neck as he ran a hand through Ignis’ hair. “The usual?”

“Please,” Ignis said with a nod. Gladio had helped him learn how to style his hair with the products they now had access to, considering that they weren’t quite suitable for how he’d used to keep his hair, and so the ability to recreate it wasn’t entirely out of his reach. Ignis was still better at it, of course, but Gladio could make it work.

Running a brush through Ignis’ hair until Ignis has mostly stopped shaking, Gladio focused as intently as he could on making Ignis look as tidy and handsome as possible. If he was concentrating, he wasn’t thinking about what was ahead of them, and it kept him grounded.

Plus, just having his hands on Ignis relaxed him, seeping the tension from his muscles and keeping back the exhaustion that was trying to creep up on him.

They didn’t talk as Gladio worked, the only sounds Gladio’s considering hums as he tamed Ignis’ hair into the pompadour he’d taken to wearing. Two stubborn bits of hair steadfastly refused to stay up, but Gladio let them be, thinking that they actually looked quite nice.

Of course, Gladio thought that Ignis could make anything look beyond amazing.

“There,” Gladio finally said, moving around Ignis to admire his handiwork from all angles. “You look beautiful.”

“You say that when I’ve been dragged through the mud by an angry daemon,” Ignis pointed out even as he gave Gladio a small smile. “Forgive me for not being entirely convinced of your impartiality.”

“Hey, I’m plenty impartial,” Gladio protested, hooking a finger underneath Ignis’ chin and kissing him deeply. “You’re the most gorgeous man in Lucis...whose name isn’t Gladiolus.”

Smacking Gladio’s arm, Ignis laughed, looking more relaxed than he had since he’d woken up. “You’re going to suffocate under the weight of your own ego one day.”

“Fine, fine, you’re the most gorgeous man in Lucis and beyond.”

“Gladio,” Ignis said, obviously aiming for stern but only managing to hit affectionate. “How do I look? Be serious.”

“You’re fit for an audience with the king,” Gladio said, taking hold of Ignis’ hips and kissing him again. Ignis melted against him, and Gladio felt his chest go warm with love as he took one more kiss. “Let’s go make our appointment, then.”

“Thank you,” Ignis said, his voice low but full of emotion as he touched Gladio’s face before pressing his forehead to Gladio’s. “For...for everything. For believing me.” 

“Well duh,” Gladio said, swinging both bags over one arm so that he could take Ignis’ hand with his free hand. “Of course I believed you, Iggy, I love you. I’d travel to the ends of Eos if you asked me to.”

“And I’d do the same for you,” Ignis said, squeezing Gladio’s hand and gingerly touching his hair with his other hand. “After all, I trust you to make me look acceptable.”

“You doubting my skills?” Gladio asked incredulously, glancing over the apartment before stepping outside and locking the door. “That’s rude, Iggy.”

“Of course not, love. Shall we?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

* * *

When the sun suddenly began to peek over the ruins of Insomnia, Gladio knew that Noctis was gone. Despite wanting to fall to his knees from exhaustion and grief, Gladio forced himself to run from the daemons that were quickly dying in the sunlight, heading over to where he’d last seen Ignis.

Letting out a joyful shout as he saw Ignis and Prompto standing among a group of dissolving daemons, Gladio nearly took them both out as he grabbed each of them under an arm, pulling them close and letting out a choked sob.

“He did it. We did it.”

Opening his eyes, Gladio let Prompto squirm out from under his arm and turned to Ignis, awestruck by the way he looked with natural light playing across his features.

“The darkness…” Ignis murmured, hooking his arms around Gladio’s neck. “I can tell...it’s gone, isn’t it.”

“It’s gone,” Gladio confirmed, a slightly wild laugh escaping him. “It’s gone, Iggy.”

“Describe it to me?” Ignis asked, shaking his head to try and dislodge an awkwardly placed piece of loose hair. With shaking, reverent fingers, Gladio brushed the offender back and away, loving the way that the growing sunlight highlighted Ignis’ hair.

“It’s the second most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Iggy.”

“You two are so in love that it’s gross,” Prompto chimed in, earning himself a middle finger even as Gladio didn’t look away from Ignis.

“But of course,” Ignis said, smiling up at Gladio and coaxing him down for a quick kiss. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I love you,” Gladio murmured, pressing his forehead to Ignis’ as light fingertips checked his face for injuries. Apparently satisfied, Ignis buried his hands in Gladio’s hair, letting Gladio take his weight while also supporting Gladio’s in return.

“I love you, too. Always and forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, double thanks to everyone who left kudos, and infinite thanks to everyone who commented!
> 
> Thank you, and goodnight.

**Author's Note:**

> [Find me on Tumblr!](http://socialdegenerate.tumblr.com)


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